Over 100 unsafe buildings pose threat to people

It is a hard fact that there are more than 100 unsafe buildings across the city, however, the municipal corporation authorities are not looking seriously to deal with the situation, thus, inviting any mishap to happen in the future. The possibility of further damage to these unsafe buildings cannot be ruled out during monsoon season.

Enquiries conducted by ‘Daily Post’ reveal that maximum numbers of unsafe buildings are located in Zone-A of Municipal Corporation as the areas of old city areas comes under this specific zone. There are around 91 unsafe buildings in the old city area. Of these buildings, the owners of 80 unsafe buildings were recently sent notices to vacate places.
Enquiries further reveal that court cases are pending in connection with 11 unsafe buildings of the total buildings identified as “unsafe” by the corporation. However, the authorities are failing to deal strictly with the owners of these buildings posing threat to other people in the localities concerned.

XEN (Zone-A) Pavitar Singh, on being contact, told that the unsafe buildings were located in the areas, including Chauri Sadak, Pindi Street, Jandu Street, Hindi Bazaar, Old Sabzi Mandi Chowk, Harbanspura and Chaura Bazaar.

The officials gave an excuse of not taking action against the unsafe buildings claiming that JCB machine cannot be taken into narrow lanes and bazaars for demolishing unsafe buildings. It may be mentioned here that there are several markets and lanes in the old city which are narrow ones.

The remaining three municipal zones (B,C,D) too have small numbers of unsafe buildings. However, most the building cases are said to be pending the courts.

Ironically, the unsafe buildings also included the office of Civil Surgeon, Ludhiana, which was supposed to be shifted in 2014. But the matter is still hanging in the air and the office is being run in the unsafe building. During monsoon in the year 2013, a huge portion this building had got damaged during monsoon season.

On being contacted, Assistant Town Planner, Kamaljit Kaur said that suitable action would be taken in this regard. She told that first they would ask the owners to get repair their unsafe buildings. She said notices had already been served to the owners of these buildings.